Separable tool and holder



A. A. WATERMAN. SEPARABLE TOOL AND HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. I92I.'

Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

I I 111111! .IRI IIII 1 .11

-1VIASSACHUSETTS.

SEPARAIBLE TOOL AND HOLDER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. WVATERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Separable Tools and Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein-to the accompanying drawings.

The object of the invention is to provide alseparable tool and holder in which the tool may be easily assembled with the holder and detached therefrom, so that the holder may be interchangeably used with a number and variety of .difierent tools.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, and the novel-features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is'a view in side elevation, partly in section of a toolfand holder embodying the invention, the holder being used also as a handle, the tool and handle being in assembled position for use.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the parts assembled preparatory to forcing the tool and latch back into the socket of the handle. 1

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the handle before the bushing is inserted in the socket.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the bushing for the socket.

Fig. 5 is a detail the latch member.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a tool constructed for use with the holder embodying the invention.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

The invention is shown as embodied in a hand tool'in which the holder serves as a handle. v Referring now to the drawings, the handle 1 is formed with a tool receiving socket 2 in its end, the socket vided with a ferrule 3. The socket opening is non-circular, preferably rectangular, in cross section, and the opening in the end of the ferrule is also of similar shape, so that the tool will not turn around in the socket. To-take up the wear of the tool shank there is preferably of steel which fits into the socket in the hanview in ers ective of Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 9, 1921.

portion being pro provided a lining or bushing at Patented Apr.

25, 1922. .Serial No. 443,662.

dle. This bushing may be held in place in the socket by a pin '5, which passes through the ferrule and the socket portion of the handle as well as through the bushing, thus the same pin serves-to secure both the bushing and ferrule to the handle. 1

The tool 6 is formed with a shank 7 which is also rectangular in cross section, being of the same width in cross section in one direction as the interior a somewhat less width than the socket in the other direction of cross section at right angles to thefirst dimension, sothat when the shank of the tool is inserted in the socket there will be a'narrow space between one face of the shank and the adjacent face of the socket to receive the latch hereinafter described; that is, if the shank of the tool is square in cross section, as shown in the drawings, the cross sectional contour of the socket will be slightly longer in one direction than in the other.

The shank 7 is provided with .a notch 8 preferably in the form of a transverse groove in one face, Q erably formed so as to have an inclined face in order to make a cam surface for the latch hereinafter described.

The latch consists of a strip of metal, preferably spring steel, having a body portion 9 which when the tool is inserted in the socket can easily be inserted alongside of the shank of the tool into the socket. The latch thus serves .asa sort of shim. The outer end portion of the latch member has a latch forming portion 10 which is bent .at a slight angle to the body portion 9, being bent outwardlyaway from the'shank of the tool, forming an inclined offset, and is formed with a transverse rib or tooth 11 along the junction of the bent portionfllO with the body portion 9,:said tooth or rib .of the tool. 'Preffacing toward the shank erably this tooth has inclined faces corre-, sponding with the inclined faces of the notch or groove in the shank of the tool.

An elongated slot 1 2 is formed in'the body portion of the latch member near its lower end, and the pin .5 which fastens the ferrule and the lining or bushing to the handle also passes through said elongated slot in the latch. The latch body "is of suflicient length and the pin is so positioned that .whenthe latch member is drawn outwardly far enough of the socket, but having theopposite side of the socket.

for the pin to rest in the bottom of the slot,

the bent or offset portion 10 and the tooth 11 will both be outside of the socket.

The bent latch portion 10 preferably has a still more abruptly bent extreme outer end portion 18 to aid in manipulating it during the assembling and separating of the parts.

Nhenthe tool is to be connected with the handle, the latch member will be drawn out to its extreme limit, as shown in Figure 2 and held against the notched face of the shank with the tooth of the latch in engagement with the notch while the shank of the t-oolis being inserted in the socket. The tool and the latch member are then both together pushed back into the socket until. they are both forced some distance inside, preferably until the outer bent portion 13 of the latch comes down close tothe end or the socket, as shown in Figure 1. As the latch member is thus forced in it tends to bring the bent end portion 10 more nearly into the plane of the body portion 9, and as the latch is of spring met-althis gives tension to the said bent portion 10 which presses the shank of the tool with an elastic pressure up against This spring tension not only makes a wedging action of the latch on the tool in the socket, but also holds the tooth 11' in engagement with the groove in the shank of the tool. By grasping the handle with one hand and the tool with the other hand, and giving a sharp, strong pull on the handle and tool in opposite directions, the tool and the latch may be pulled partway out together as "far as allowed by the elongated slot in the latch member. This will bring the tooth and the groove outside of the end of thecsocket, and then the latch member may be sprung awa from the tool far enough to disengage the toothfrom the groove and allow the complete separation of the tool from the handle.

The particular tool which I have shown in the drawings to be used with the handle is driver. The mechanic in many kinds of work has occasion to use a variety of sizes and styles oi screw drivers at difterent times, and if they are all made with the same construction of; shank to tit the handle, any number of varieties of screw drivers may be employed with the same handle and the shift from one to another may be easily made.

It is also obvious that the same handle may be used. in connection with any other kind of a tool beside a screw driver that has a. shank suitably made for engagement with the handle. Thus the same handle may be interchanged, not only with different varieties and sizes of screw drivers, but also with different kinds of tools so long as the shank is made to lit with the socket of the handle While I have shown and described the tool holder as being in the form of a hand tool and holder, the holder being also a handle, it is obvious that the holder may be made suitable for connection with a power machine and carry a drill or other tool, and still have the same kind of socket and latch connection for the tool as when embodied in a hand tool.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a tool having a shank formed with a notch therein, a separable holder therefor having a socket to receive the shank, said socket being of somewhat greater width in one direction than the width of the shank in the corresponding direction, and a latch member having a body portion which is fitted to be inserted into the socket between the notched face of the tool shank and the wall of the socket, said latch being formed with a tooth which is adapted to engage with said notch and having a bent outer portion which engages the wall of the socket and by its pressure maintains the tooth in engagement with the notch.

2. In combination with a tool having a shank formed with a notch therein, a separable holder theretor having a socket to receive the shank, said socket being of somewhat greater width in one direction than the width of the shank in the corresponding direction, and a latch member having a body portion which is titted to be inserted into the socket between the notched face of the tool shank and the wall of the socket, said latch being formed with a tooth which is adapted to engage with said notch and having a bent outer portion which engages with the wall of maintains the tooth in engagement with the notch, the body portion ot said latch being formed with an elongated slot, and having a pin which projects from the socket of the handle into engagement with said slot. whereby the latch member is maintained in connection with the socket and permitted a limited longitudinal sliding movement with relation to the socket.

3. In combination with a tool having a shank formed with a notch therein, a separable holder therefor having a socket provided with. a metallic bushing to receive said tool shank, said socket being of somewhat greater width in one direction than the width of the shank in the corresponding direction, and latch member having a body portion which fits into the space between the notched face of the tool shank and the adjacent wall of the bushing of the socket. said latch being viormcd with a tooth which is adapted to engage with said notch in the tool shank, the latch being termed also with an offset portion between the tooth and the outer end which engages the side oi the socket bushing, and provides tension to retain the tooth in engagement with said notch.

the socket and by its pressure 4. In combination with a tool having a shank formed with a notch therein, a separable holder therefor having a socket provided with a metallic bushing to receive said tool shank, said socket being of somewhat greater width in one direction than the width of the shank in the corresponding direction, and a latch member having a body portion which fits into the space between the notched face of the tool shank and the adjacent wall of the bushing of engage with said .40

the socket, said latch being formed with a tooth which is adapted to engage with said notch in the tool shank, the latch being formed also with an offset portion between the tooth and the side of the socket bushing, and provides tension to retain the tooth in engagement with said notch, the body portion of the latch member being formed with an elongated slot and having a pin which passes through the side of the socket and through said elongated slot, the relative proportions of the elements being such that when the latch member is drawn out as far as permitted by its slot, the said tooth will be outside of the end of the socket.

5. In combination with a tool having a shank formed with a notch. therein, a separable holder therefor having a socket to re-' ce1Ve the shank, said socket being of somewhat greater width in one direction than the width of the shank in the corresponding direction, and a latch member having a body portion which fits into the socket between the notched face of the tool shank and the wall of the socket, said latch bein formed with a tooth which is adapted to notch, said notch and tooth each being formed with a cam face, the portion of the latch member between the tooth and the outer end being formed with a bend which engages with the wallof the socket to maintain the tooth in engagement with the notch by yielding pressure to bind the tool shank in its place in the socket, and which yields to lengthwise pull to separate the tool and handle from each other.

6. In combination with a tool having a shank formed with a notch therein, a separable holder therefor having a socket to receive the shank, a ferrule for the socket portion of the handle having a non-circular opening in its outer end, a metallic bushing which fits into the socket portion of the handle and into thenon-circular opening in the end of the ferrule, said socket being of somewhat greater width in one direction than the width of the tool shank in the corresponding direction, and a latch member having a body portion which, when placed alongside of the notched face of the tool shank. fits into said socket, said latch being formed with a tooth which is adapted the outer end which engages and produces tensionibetween of :the latch member in engagement with the notch in the tool shank, said latch member being formed with an elongated slot, and a pin which passes through the ferrule and socket member and said elongated slot :to maintain a connection between the socket member and the latch, the latch member be,- ing movable. lengthwise as'permitted the slot far enough to permit the tooth portion of the latch to be drawn outsideof the mouth of the socket together with the tool shank to permit assembling of the tool and latch for insertion into the handle andseparation to remove the tool.

In combination with a tool having a notched shank, a separable holder therefor having a socket to receive the shank of the tool, the socket being of larger dimension than the shank, and a latch memberof spring metal which serves as a shim to be inserted between the shank a wall of the socket, and having a tooth which engages with said notch in the tool shank, said latch member having a bent portion which when the tool shank and latch member are inserted in the socket is put under tension and exerts a sure to maintain the tooth with the notch.

In combination with a tool having a notched shank, a separable holder therefor having a socket to. receive the shank of the tool, the socket being of larger dimension than the shank, and a latch member of spring. metal which serves as a shim to be inserted between the shank of the tool and a wall of thersocket, and having a tooth which engages with said notch in' the tool shank, said latch member having a bent portion which when the tool shank and latch member are inserted in the socket is put yielding pressure member are inserted in the socket is put" passing through the and a latch member of under tension and exerts a yielding pressure to maintain the tooth in engagement with the notch, the latch member being formed with an elongated slot and connected with the holder by a pin passing through the socket member and said elongated slot,

7 the socket being provided with a metal bushmg. l

10. In combination with a tool having a notched shank, a separable holder therefor having a socket to receive the shank of the tool, the socket being of larger dimension than the shank, and a latch member of spring metal which serves as a shim to be inserted between the shank of the tool and a wall of the socket, and having a tooth which engages with said notch in the tool shank, said latch member having a bent, portion which when the tool shank and latch member are inserted in the socket is put under tension andv exerts a yielding pressure to maintain the tooth in engagement with the notch, the outer end of the latch member terminating in a flange portion adapted to aid in disengaging the latch member from the socket.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

ALBERT A. WATERMA N. 

